


I Like You, Barb

by AshWinterGray



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, Love, Love Confessions, Nerdiness, season 1 rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 16:14:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20048887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshWinterGray/pseuds/AshWinterGray
Summary: You know, Season 1 might have been different if Steve fell in love with Barb instead of Nancy.





	I Like You, Barb

**Author's Note:**

  * For [petunia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/petunia/gifts).

> Dedicated to Petunia, and I am so sorry this took so long.

If anyone had told Steve Harrington a year ago that he would fall in love with the biggest nerd in school, he’d have laughed in their face. As it was…as it was, Steve wasn’t exactly sure what this feeling in his chest was. But it felt funny, and it all started during basketball practice. Well, more like after basketball practice.

Here’s the thing, the year is 1983, only about a month and a half into the first week of school, putting them into mid-September. Steve had recently made the basketball team, and having practiced every day with Tommy, coach seemed to think he held the most promise. There was talk of him becoming Captain the next year. However, some jerk senior had been hating all the attention Steve was getting, which was why Steve was currently being dragged to the nurse with a potentially broken nose, and the other guy was being wrestled to the principal’s office.

But that wasn’t the point. That wasn’t why Steve’s chest felt funny. That was just how he got into the situation.

“NO!” a female voice cried out. “Don’t tilt his head back! That will just make the blood rush back to his brain. It could hurt him. Here, napkins!”

Steve was too busy groaning in pain to place the voice, but someone tilted his head forward and shoved a bunch of napkins under his nose. Then he was sitting on a chair and someone was looking at his face.

“I don’t think it looks broken,” a second female voice stated.

“No, I don’t think so either,” hummed the first female voice. “Nance, could you go find the nurse. I am not a medical professional.”

His head is titled down again, and more tissues and napkins are shoved at his nose. He hears Tommy whisper something sharp but can’t make it out. And he hears the first female voice quip something back.

“You okay, Steve?” Tommy suddenly calls out.

“Yeah,” Steve breathes through his mouth as he pulls the tissues and napkins away. “Just can’t breathe right now. But I’m with _her_ I don’t think it’s broken.”

And now he can see who the first female voice was. He can see why Tommy’s whispered tone was sharp and biting. This is Barbara Holland, one of the “nerds” of the school. Normally, Steve would not be caught dead keeping the likes of her in his company. As it was, Barbara’s probably the only intelligent person in the room, and he’d rather not do something dumb to mess up his chances at basketball.

“That’s a relief,” Tommy chuckled. “Can’t have our future captain down and out for the count.”

“We’re running out of tissues,” Barb muttered, more to herself than Steve or Tommy. “And napkins.”

“I’ve got it,” Tommy stated as he moved to the door. “Don’t mess up his face, freak.”

Barb scowled at that, but Tommy was gone before she could throw a cutting remark. Steve, however, watched her face fall momentarily as she pushed the napkins and tissues a little closer to Steve’s nose. He sighed, tugging Barb’s wrist gently away from his face.

“Thanks, Holland,” Steve stated, and he meant it. He hoped Barb saw that.

“You-” Barb looked honestly confused. “You know my name?”

“Barbara Holland,” Steve stated, smiling a bit, even as Barb put the last of the napkins and tissues to Steve’s nose again. “Yeah, I know you. You’re smart.”

Barb blinked again, clearly confused. But she evidently just rolled her eyes and titled Steve’s head down again.

“Didn’t think the upcoming ‘King’ would care about a freak like me,” Barb teased with a light laugh, as if Steve knowing her name was the funniest joke alive. “Thought you only tried to attract _pretty_ girls.”

“Tried?” Steve scoffed through a currently clogged nose. “Sweetheart, I attract all the girls.”

Now it was Barb’s turn to scoff. But rather than say anything, she removed the soaked napkins and tissues and tossed them. Her hand was covered in his blood, and he kind of felt guilty about that. But then she was shrugging off her jacket and putting _that_ to Steve’s nose to stop the rest of the blood flow.

“Barbara,” Steve tried to stop her.

“It’s fine,” Barb shrugged. “All girls know how to remove blood stains, you know?”

It took Steve a little _too_ long to get that one, and he low-key thought all girls were serial killers for a moment. He figured it was probably best to change the subject.

“So, uh, what makes you think I don’t attract all the girls?”

Barb gave him a _look_ that just screamed _idiot_. “Really? You have to ask? Listen Steve, Most girls may think it’s fun to play popular for a few weeks and then get their heartbroken before they move on, but not everyone is like that. Not everyone likes to be played. Some people just want a man who will love them for who they are. Some people just want someone who will show themselves, not the fake copy.”

And…and… what was Steve supposed to say to that? But Barb had pulled her jacket away and was moving to wash the blood off her hands. It was then that they both noticed the role of paper towels and Barb quickly got to work with wetting a few so that Steve could wash the blood off his face, neck and chest.

Steve, however, was still reeling from the confession. It was like-like someone had sort of stabbed him in the chest, but then he realized it wasn’t guilt or annoyance or anything bitter. It was just a low ache. Steve had absolutely no idea what this feeling in his chest was.

“Just hold still, okay,” Barb instructed as she crouched before Steve. “I’m going to do your face so you don’t hurt yourself.”

As Barb put the wet paper towel to his nose, Steve realized what the feeling was. He just couldn’t figure out _why_ he was feeling thins way. Maybe it was how gentle Barb was. Maybe it was her sass. Maybe it was the fact that she had been honest.

But, wow, okay…Steve Harrington definitely had a crush on Barbara Holland.

\---------------------------

A week later, Steve bought Barb a new jacket. In hindsight, it probably would have been better of he had just given the jacket to her personally. Breaking into her locker and leaving it there before school hours was not one of his brighter moments.

On the plus side, she was kind enough to corner him after school in the alley way.

“What the heck is your problem?” she threw the jacket him. “Am I some kind of joke to you?”

“What?” Steve bulked, fumbling with the jacket. “No! No, I-!”

“Because, I already basically said I wasn’t interested,” Barb cut him off. “And, what, did you decide I was a challenge or something? I bet you did, too! I bet you thought you could play me like some romance novel!”

“No!” Steve tried again. “Barbara, let me-!”

“And here I was thinking you could be a decent person,” she continued. “But, no, you’re just like every other jerk here, Steve Harrington, you’re just like-!”

“I just wanted to replace your jacket!” Steve screamed at her, rather frantically.

The air got suddenly stiff, and Steve shrank into himself, hiding behind the jacket.

“You-you haven’t,” Steve couldn’t bring himself to look at Barb, was too stuck trying to contain himself. “You haven’t worn your jacket. Since-since that time you helped me. I, uh, I thought-I thought that, maybe-maybe I ruined it. So, uh, I wanted-wanted to replace it.”

Barb blinked at him, not that Steve could see that. He’d backed himself up against one of the alley walls, still using the jacket to protect him from the wrath of Barbara Holland.

“Oh,” she breathed.

Steve lowered the jacket to see that Barb had taken a few steps back and was hugging herself as she shivered. This was the exact reason he had bought her the new jacket, because she never wore one anymore. And she always looked so cold. Slowly and hesitantly, Steve moved around Barb and carefully slid the jacket onto her shoulders.

“I’d never do that to you, Barbara,” he promised as he took a step back. “Not after what you told me. It wouldn’t be fair to you. And you’re not some object that I would use like that.”

Barb didn’t say anything, so Steve left.

\---------------------------

Tommy spat his beer out, all over the kitchen counter. Steve was _definitely_ going to make him clean it up. But right now, he needed to ignore the beer that had been spat over the counter. There was something a little more pressing.

“You what?” Carol gawked at him as Tommy tried to catch his breath. “I’m sorry. Could you repeat that? I’m pretty sure you just said you had a crush on a _freak_.”

Steve glared at her, and Carol just continued to gawk. “Don’t call her that.”

“Steve, buddy,” Tommy suddenly put his hand to Steve’s forehead. “You sure you’re alright? Did you get a concussion or something?”

Steve batted Tommy’s hand away and made for the backyard. Of course they wouldn’t understand. They’d never understand. They’d been _cool_ for so long that anyone outside of their circle wasn’t worth the time or effort. They were _play things_. So, of course they wouldn’t understand. He’d been stupid thinking he could trust them. 

“Steve! Slow down!” Tommy suddenly gripped Steve and spun him around. “Calm down man. Just, give me a minute.”

“A minute to what?” Steve snapped. “Just leave it, Tommy. I was an idiot. Don’t worry about it. We won’t have to talk about it. Kick me out of the circle if you want, I don’t care anymore.”

“Steve,” Carol spoke this time. “We’re not going to kick you out of the group. We’re just surprised. You’ve never actually been serious about a girl before.”

Steve sighed, sinking onto the nearby armchair. They were right, of course. He’d never actually stayed with a girl for more than a few weeks at most. He’d never had crushes either.

“Barbara is different,” Steve stated. “She’s different than the other girls. And-and maybe I’m tired of bouncing around all the time. Maybe I want to be serious for once.”

Tommy let out a low whistle. “Welp, guess we got our work cut out for us.”

\------------------------

Barbara Holland really was different than other girls. She didn’t want flowers, she didn’t want extravagant gifts, she didn’t want money spent on her, and she didn’t want some big declaration of love.

So all of Steve’s usual tactics were instantly scrapped.

But, as Tommy and Carol pointed out, there were other ways to get Barb’s attention. To start, Steve started studying more, hoping to impress Barb with how much smart he could be if he actually tried. Then there was the fact that Tommy and Steve had managed to convince the school populous to give Barb a wide birth, and anyone who broke the new rule instantly got a beating from someone. Steve wasn’t in on that part. The there was the fact that Steve allowed himself to be a perfect gentleman.

Plus he really enjoyed sharing quips with Barb.

His efforts, however, seemed to be getting him nowhere, and Steve decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. So, he went to Nancy Wheeler.

“In all honesty,” Steve stated, not quite able to meet her gaze. “I’ve, uh, I’ve got a crush on Barb.”

Nancy sort of stared at him in surprise as Steve slumped back in his seat. This was yet another stupid idea, and Steve knew it.

“Oh,” Nancy finally said. “Huh, that makes more sense. Barb seems to think you like me.”

Then it was Steve’s turn to gawk.

\----------------------------------

Nancy ended up helping too, being the perfect wing-woman for her best friend. In fact, she even managed to drag Barb to Steve’s house, despite the fact that Will Byers had gone missing.

“What are we doing here?” Barb questioned Nancy as she watched Tommy ‘attempt’ to throw Carol in the pool. “Nance, this is stupid.”

“Barb, just relax,” Nancy nudged her friend. “We’re just here to have fun for a bit. Besides, once Steve get’s back, we’re supposed to go out and try searching for Will, remember?”

“And you think Steve isn’t just getting alcohol?” Barb shot her friend a look as Carol gave another shriek.

“You wound me,” Steve suddenly appeared in between the two friends, dumping supplies on a table. “Tommy! Carol! Come on!”

Barb eyed the supplies. Flashlights, some blankets and extra jackets, some water bottles, and even a few snacks.

“Wait,” Barb stood up as Tommy and Carol began to grab flashlights and blankets. “You were serious?”

“No,” Steve’s tone was dripping with sarcasm. “We’re just going to get drunk and play drunk flashlight tag while there is a kid missing in the woods.” He handed her a blanket and flashlight. “Come on! There’s a lost kid in the wood!”

They were only a few feet in when they were met with Jonathan Byers.

“I heard screaming,” Jonathan admitted, fidgeting slightly. “And I was looking for Will, so I thought…”

“So are we,” Carol chirped up, surprising everyone a bit. “Your house isn’t far from here, right?”

“Uh,” Jonathan shifted on his feet. “Yeah. Yeah. I just came from there. Figured no one was going to check here yet, and-”

“We’ll find him,” Nancy instantly went up to him. “Come with us. We’ll cover more ground that way.”

“Maybe we could split into pairs,” Tommy suggested, having exchanged odd looks with Carol. “Me and Carol. Byers and Wheeler. Steve and Barbara.”

“Evenly matched,” Carol grinned, already tugging Tommy away. “Stay within shouting distance! WILL BYERS!”

Unsure what to do, Steve gave Jonathan a nod and took off in a separate direction with Barb.

“WILL!”

“COME ON LITTLE BYERS!”

“WILL!”

“KID! LITTLE BYERS!”

“WILL!”

“This was nice of you,” Barb stated as Steve gave another shout. “Doing this for Jonathan and Will.

“I’ve lived in these woods my whole life,” Steve stated suddenly, not looking at Barb. “WILL BYERS!”

Barb gave a shout herself, but she glanced back at Steve, still confused.

“These woods, they’ve always been safe,” Steve continued after a moment. “I would come here whenever I was hurt. Or whenever I just needed to get away. And to think-” Steve took a breath. “WILL BYERS!”

“WILL!” Barb called with him.

“To think that these woods could have hurt a kid,” Steve shook his head, eyes clenching at the thought. “That terrifies me. This is supposed to be my safe space. And now it’s tainted.” Another breath. “WILL BYERS!”

Barb had never seen anyone look so defeated before, so lost. This time, she didn’t call with him as he shouted for the lost child in the woods. Or, they hoped he was in the woods.

“Steve-”

Barb’s words became a gasp as she tripped over a root and fell hard, scraping her hand on a rock. Steve was by her side, quickly helping her up and tugging her close.

“Oh, Barbara,” Steve breathed as he watched the blood leaking from her hand. “Uh, here. Hold on.”

Steve began fumbling in his jacket pockets, digging for something he couldn’t seem to find. Barb was both transfixed by the blood and captivated by Steve as he finally found the bandages he was looking for. Barb let out a hiss, for which Steve apologized for, as he carefully poured water over her hand.

“You okay?” he asked as he finished tying the bandage.

“Yeah,” Barb nodded, giving him a smile as he fixed her crooked glasses. “Yeah. I’m fine. Thanks, Steve.”

Steve gave her this smile, a smile that made her breath catch. It certainly didn’t help that he seemed to insist on holding her hand as they walked some more, shouting out for Will as they tried to catch up with the others. But her thoughts were cut off by a low growl. An inhuman growl.

Barb turned around. And screamed.

Steve screamed too, especially as the monster’s face opened up, but as it reached for Barb, as their flashlights flickered, Steve grab a fallen tree limb and wacked the creature. He was still screaming as he continued to hit it, the thing letting out another inhuman sound. Then Tommy and Carol were suddenly there, just in time to see Steve get hit in the chest and knocked away. And as it advanced on Barb, they both raced forward. Tommy pulled out a pocketknife and jabbed it into the creature’s back. Carol began to throw a blanket over its head, Tommy joining her in yanking the blanket, trapping the creature. Then Steve was back on his feet, fumbling, but back on his feet. Jonathan and Nancy raced into the clearing just as the blanket ripped, revealing the things flower mouth. They screamed, of course, and Nancy chucked her flashlight at it. Not that it did much, but it gave Steve a chance to grab a bigger limb and begin to wail on the creature again.

“Steve!” Tommy screamed. “The flask! Your flask!”

Steve barely had times in between wailing on the creature to throw Tommy the flask. Barb wanted to yell at him, wants to tell him that now was not the time to drink because Steve could die. But then Tommy dropped a match into the liquid, Steve stepped back, and Tommy launched the now flaming liquid onto the creature.

Oh, alcohol was flammable. Right.

Barb doesn’t have the time to dumbly make this realization verbal because Steve has her carefully tucked against his chest as they all try to avoid the flaming monster, but then Nancy and Jonathan decide to follow it, so they all follow it. And it was then they watched the thing disappear into a hole in a tree, and then they watched as that hole closes.

“Barb!” Nancy raced over to her and Steve. “Are you hurt? Are you alright?”

“It didn’t touch me,” Barb admitted as she turned to Steve. “Steve-Steve stopped it. But I tripped and scrapped my hand before that.”

Steve hadn’t let her go, still had her tucked into his chest, and he was studying her with such an intense gaze that Barb almost couldn’t finish talking. As she stared back, he carefully, never letting his burning gaze drop, reached up to fix her glasses.

“Wait,” Carol breathed, ruining…whatever that had been. “You guys-you guys don’t think that thing took Will, do you?”

All six horrified gazes turned to where the hole had been.

“If-if that weird hole thing could move,” Nancy spoke, moving to touch whatever membrane stuff was left on the tree. “Then, do you guys-maybe-maybe Will did get home.”

Jonathan looked like he was going to be sick. “My mom’s home alone right now.”

\--------------------------

The six teens were in the Byers house, all of them together. The monster, after vanishing, had managed to come to the Byers house too and press through the wall. They found Joyce talking to the lights. After insisting they believed her and telling their own story, Tommy and Carol went to buy a new phone for Joyce, Nancy was making soup to calm everyone down, and Jonathan was holding his mother as she tried to call for Will.

Steve and Barb were in the bathroom, Steve carefully cleaning Barb’s cut with that same burning intensity.

“Steve,” Barb whispered.

His gaze shifted to her for a moment, still burning, as he then moved to grab the bandages. The same intensity never left as he carefully wrapped her hand, now free of blood. The wound had been shallow, just bled a lot, like cutting one’s self with a razor.

“Steve,” Barb tried again. “Look at me. Please.”

He did, but it was pained, fearful even, and almost full of disbelief.

“You could have died,” Steve gasped out, like he couldn’t breathe. Barb watched in shock as tears suddenly gathered in Steve’s eyes and he lost all composure. “You could have died, and I’d never have told you that I-”

He stopped, sobs becoming harder as he collapsed against Barb’s chest. One hand gingerly cupped her injured hand, shaking and trembling. The other was wrapped around her waist now, pulling her close.

“You could have died not knowing that I like you,” Steve sobbed out. “You could have died not knowing how stupidly in love with you I am. You could have died not realizing how hard I worked to become someone who could give you the love you desired, even if you never liked me back. I-Barbara you could have died.”

Barb wasn’t sure what to say, but there were tears falling down her own eyes as she curled around Steve.

“I’m here,” she promised. “I’m here. You can still prove yourself to me, okay? I’m here.”

\----------------------------

Steve was gentle and protective, and he was determined to kill the monster. Whatever it may take. When Will’s ‘body’ was pulled from the quarry the next day, the six teens new it had to be fake, and they all attended the funeral, standing beside Joyce Byers.

But they had a plan. They were going to kill it.

The plan consisted of going back into the woods, of finding Will again. This had been decided on after the fact that Joyce had seen Will through the wall, in some place “like home but not home”.

“An alternate dimension,” Barb concluded. “Will’s trapped in a place like ours but not. And that thing in the tree was a doorway of sorts to that world.”

“So if we go in,” Tommy questioned, all of them deep in thought. “If we go in, we could, theoretically, find Will. Right?”

That was all the hope they needed, and they all agreed to meet up at a small clearing behind the Byers house. Each of them grabbed any array of weapons they could find. When night fell, they each trekked back into the woods, paired back up in their teams.

“You’re going to go in, aren’t you?” Barb pressed as Steve fingered the flask of alcohol. “You want to kill it.”

“Three people have been declared missing, Barb,” Steve says as an answer. “You could have been one of them. And I can’t live with that.”

Then Nancy went missing, and they found the doorway, but it vanished after they managed to pull Nancy out. As much as Steve ached to keep going, even he knew that was a bad idea. Nancy was clearly traumatized.

\---------------------------

They had a sleepover at the Wheeler’s, secretly of course. But none of them really wanted to be alone. Not after the day they had gone through. Nor the night that had followed. Sneaking out that morning was interesting, and Steve found himself eyeing the weird Hawkins Energy Van parked outside. The guy gave them an odd look, but he waved.

“That guy gives me the creeps,” Carol muttered. “Something’s not right with him. Why would an electrician stay _in_ his car?”

“And why would he be spying on the Wheeler house?” Tommy muttered. “He was there last night too.”

Nancy chewed her bottom lip but had no answer. They ended up leaving the subject, because they had bigger things to worry about. They spent a lot of time in the hunting shop.

“So, if those membranes were a doorway,” Steve suddenly sidled up to Barb. “There’s got to be a main doorway, right? Like, a place where everything originated.”

“Yeah,” Barb nodded as she thought about it. “Yeah. There probably would be.”

“So, if there is a main doorway,” Steve muttered as he suddenly pulled out a map from his jacket pocket. The same map Jonathan had been using the other day. “Then, maybe, the appearances of the doorways can tell us something.”

With a pen, Steve began trying to circle around the main marks that Jonathan had made the other day. Barb watched as he worked, trying to figure out what was going on. He was focused, determined. And then the pen stopped.

“Hawkins Lab,” Barb muttered.

Steve quickly put the map away and began walking towards the door.

“Jonathan,” Steve called to the other guy. “Find your mom. Tell her what’s going on. She needs to know. I’ll be back. I promise.”

“Where are you going?” Nancy demanded.

Steve stopped for a moment, then turned around again, facing Jonathan. “If your brother were to go anywhere. Anywhere at all. Where would he go to hide other than home?”

“Uh, I don’t-”

“Think, Jonathan!”

“I guess Castle Byers,” Jonathan concluded. “Why?”

Steve didn’t answer the question, just walked towards his car. “Find your mom, Jonathan!”

Barb knew what Steve was thinking, and she wasn’t going to let him go alone.

“Stay here,” Steve hissed.

“No,” Barb stated. “Now drive. We’ve got a kid to save.”

\---------------------------

Getting into Hawkins Lab for Steve Harrington was as easy as throwing his name around. Threatening Doctor Martin Brenner, however, earned Steve a harsh beating as they forced Barb to watch.

“We just want to save Will Byers!” Barb was screaming out. Another harsh punch to Steve as they held him up by his hair. “Stop it! Just let us save Will!”

“Die here,” Steve spat blood out. “Die there. What does it matter? Either way, you’ll kill us. Might as well see if we can do better than your other failures.”

Brenner took the bait for what it was.

“I’m okay, Barbara,” Steve told her softly. “Really. I’m okay.”

That didn’t mean Barb wasn’t fussing. They were both wearing heavy hazmat suit as they trekked through this odd place. Steve was also carrying most of the supplies. An extra oxygen tank for Will. Some water bottles, carefully sealed. It had to be heavy. Not to mention their flasks of alcohol, the matches, and the lighter.

“Steve,” Barb was pressing, trying to carry something.

“We’ll be fine,” Steve was assuring, and Barb would have hit him if he weren’t so injured. Every stepped looked painful. Every breath sounded labored. “We’ll find Will and get out of here. Soon.”

“They’ll just kill us,” Barb whispered. “And who knows what they’ll do to Will.”

Steve had a relative idea of where Castle Byers was, and the moment they found it, after what felt like hours, they found Will, singing.

“No, no please,” Will gasped, weakly trying to stand up. “Please.”

“Hey, hey,” Steve cooed. “We’re friends. See. Humans wearing funny masks. This is Barbara Holland. And I’m Steve Harrington. We’re here to rescue you, okay buddy.”

Will sagged, and Steve instantly moved the extra oxygen tank forward so that he could place the mask over Will’s face. He let Will take a few breaths before he removed the mask, insisting Will try a few sips of water.

“Give me the water and firearms,” Barb tugged the supplies. “You carry Will against your chest and the tank against your back.”

Steve nodded as he hooked the mask to Will’s face, then tied a wet cloth around Will’s eyes to prevent anymore of the poison from seeping into the boy. With Will situated, they quickly fled the small fort and headed for Hawkins Lab. Though they tried to keep an eye out for a smaller doorway.

“Will,” a soft voice made the group stop some time later. “Will?”

Barb and Steve both gasped as they saw a little girl, there but clearly not there.

“Your mom,” the girl was saying. “She’s coming for you.”

“Hurry,” Will whimpered into the mask.

“Hawkins Lab,” the girl’s gaze snapped up to Barb as she spoke. “You have to stop them. That’s where the doorway is. That’s our way out, but they’re waiting for us. You have to do something.”

“Barb!” Steve hissed and the curl vanished.

Barb then heard what Steve heard.

“Run,” Steve hissed.

And they were running. And they were running.

\-------------------------------

The creature had vanished at some point, but it had steered them off course, and the trek back to the lab was taking even longer. But they were close now, just getting into town. Steve was starting to sag under the weight of the tank and Will, but he kept going.

“Steve,” Barb whispered, Will clearly sleeping peacefully for the first time in a while. “I think I like you too.”

Steve’s eyes were wide for a moment, but then he was grinning all goofy.

“I’ll take you on a date, then,” Steve promised. “You and me. A date. How’s next Friday?”

“Friday,” Barb agreed. “I can do Friday.”

It was then that flashlight beams were seen down the street, and mother and son were finally reunited at last. Now all they had to do was get out of there. Easier said than done, especially with lab people waiting, but Chief Hopper assured them they were safe.

“Wait,” Steve stopped them as they got closer. “Do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Hopper demand, gun trained and ready.

“A voice,” Steve whispered, looking around now. “Go! Get Will out. I’ll catch up.”

Barb had gone this far, there was no way she was letting Steve go alone. With the two together, they found themselves in the middle school, searching around as someone screamed out.

“MIKE!” the voice was frantic now.

“Woah! Hey!” Steve gasped as a child rounded the corner. “Look. Woah! We’re friends. Remember? You saw us with Will?”

“Will,” El croaked. “Safe?”

“Yeah, yeah kid,” Steve promised. “He’s with his mom and the Chief. Come on, let’s get you out too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Does anyone know why the Mind Flayer wanted Will? Cause, like, he wasn't bleeding or anything. Does that get explained?


End file.
